All for a Geisha Girl
by Chiishi
Summary: Syaoran Li is one of the most influential daimyos of Edoic Japan, and he is in desperate need of a wife. One night, he is blessed with a dream of his soul mate. Desperate to find her, will a routine visit to a teahouse find who he is seeking for? SxS
1. Chapter 1: The Daimyo

**((It's Chiishi, back, but this tme, in the CCS department! This is my thrird story, and hopefully this idea will spawn a good story. Well, here's the first chapter, hope you all enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything by the mistresses of clamp, except for a Chobits wallscroll and a bunch of their manga. I don't own anything actually of theirs, so don't sue me! All I want is Syaoran... ehehe... not much chance of that... anyways..))**

**Chapter 1: **Syaoran Li, the Warlord

Syaoran Li, a young man of twenty-one, lay on his futon, sleep totally forgotten. Many troubles were on his mind, with many not containing a solution. Li was a powerful man, his hold of power surprising for his age. Li was a warlord, who held riches and troupes in the palms of his hands.

Many men of Syaoran's rank were promoted well into their fifties, from experience, and at times flattery. Syaoran's rank however, was right from his battles from when he was a teenager, which were fought with vigor and hardship. One other factor of Syaoran's success was that he was a personal friend of the current ruler of Japan, the Shogun.

The current Shogun was a man by the name of Takahata Tatsuke, a man of strength and arthritic joints. Takahata was currently at the age of fifty-two, and many still thought of him a man in his prime. The others, though, thought him an old mushroom that wasn't fit to rule over the lands and armies of the country. Li found him perfectly capable in his decisions.

Syaoran turned on his side, sighing. Life wasn't getting any easier for him, and he knew things would eventually look up, but not in this instant. His heart ached, and it ached for only one reason. He needed a wife. His new position did guarantee power, but at a price, like everything else in the world ever has.

When he was appointed a warlord, the Shogun had peered at him carefully.

_"Young Li-kun, I am afraid," he had said, "that when you take up this role, when you take up this position, your heart will turn to ice, just from the harshness of this job. When I was... ten years your senior, I was appointed your current position." He paused, just to cough haggardly to clear his throat._

_"I had fought many battles, see. I had fought so many that eventually I lost control of myself. I was a ruthless killing machine. Nothing could stop me, except for the word of the now late Shogun. He called out to meet with me one day, and I agreed to see him. When we met, he looked into my eyes and saw nothing but hatred and anger, and nothing of compassion, love, devotion, and even sensitivity. He told me to find and bed a wife." He paused yet again, smiling softly of the memories he was relating._

_"After many weeks of searching, I found her. She was perfect. She could cook, clean, and do other household chores, since she came from a very high-ranking family. Of course I had taken many women to my bed, but being with her was so different. I fell in love with her the day I met her... she's my tourniquet, Li, she's my goddess of beauty and salvation. She keeps me caring and subtle. She's my life."_

The memory left his mind as quickly as it had came. Syaoran closed his eyes. Every man had a fetish, or longing, and Syaoran was no exception. He loved seeing the geishas at the local entertainment district, who danced and served for whatever he hungered for to his heart's content. They always fascinated him, the way they twirled and swished their heavy kimonos with such grace. Sometimes, if the Ginza was slutish enough, she would leave the top of her kimono a tad bit too open, giving all the men in the teahouse a reason to groan and look away, their lust poking at them with a stick.

Li took a deep breath, and finally the world of peaceful dreams took him away.

_He saw himself in a field covered with cherry trees. The sky itself was a hazardous black. But one thing caught his eye. The blossoms were glowing. As a strong wind blew up, a horde of cherry blossoms danced from their places on their trees into the air, where they collected and swirled around and around for a moment or two. When they drifted away as the wind shifted, he saw a girl that looked about eighteen of nineteen emerge from the darkness, her short hair blowing softly in the wind. _

_Her locks of luminescent hair were a coppery auburn, her eyes a dazzling emerald. As she approached him, she saw him, and a smile came to her face immediately._

_"Syaoran!" she said softly, running to where he sat. She knelt down before him, and embraced him._

_"Who-who are you?" Syaoran asked, troubled by this woman's sudden actions. He felt his heart flutter in his chest, and he realized that he knew this woman, but he had never met her before._

_"What is your name?" he asked her softly, from not receiving an answer the first time. She looked up at him and let go of him, still smiling her gentle smile._

_"Look around you. I am your soul mate. We do not know each other in reality, but in mind. My name resides in these trees, these blossoms. If you find me, you will know me, and our lives will be complete. What is my name, little wolf?" _

_She drifted away, her gorgeous smile still upon her beautiful visage._

Syaoran felt the dream end, but he was still pleasantly asleep. A grin was plastered on his usually cold-looking face, and he uttered three solemn words.

"Sakura... my love.."

Little did he know, that far away, someone would soon receive a similar dream. She was not but a poor man's daughter, destined to become a beautiful woman and an excellent geisha. These two did not remember their past lives, but, in time, they would soon remember.

In that life, their roles were switched, him being the unfortunate one, her being the fortunate. If these two destined lovers discover each other in time, they would probably fix the bond that was broken between them in their past lives. That bond was shattered by such a cruel and malevolent source of evil, the father of the girl's past life self. The fates pray to them to fix that bond, for the sake of themselves, and what was about to occur in Japan in the mere future... if that bond was repaired, many lives could be saved, and Japan's fate will be saved. Hopefully, this will be the lifetime to save many others.

**((There's the first chapter! Tell me what you think! Hopefully it'll make the satisfactory mark. I'll be back soon with the next chapter, on the girl that's on all of our minds, Sakura!**

**I'll update soon,**

**Ciao,**

**Chiishi X3)) **


	2. Chapter 2: The Geisha

**((It's Chiishi, back with another chapter! It's obviously mainly about Sakura, and about a couple more characters that will be vital to this story. Hope you enjoy! Look at the bottom A/N when you're finished reading, I need your help on something. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Clamp's except my manga... But I really want Syaoran...  
**

**Anyways, onto Sakura!))**

**Chapter 2:** Sakura, the Geisha

She thrusted her hands into the cold water, drawing out a bowl. She sighed, and took a rag from a soggy pile at her side, and washed and picked at the dirtied bowl. Her hands were a reddish color, making then look raw, and they were very sore. She groaned as she saw a scab open up on her palm, the blood starting to painfully show.

"Sakura-chan, are you almost done in there?" A high pitched female voice hollered from the other room. Sakura winced, and dried her hands on her kimono and rose.

"Yes, Megumi-san!" She yelled back, slipping on the full outer layer of her kimono, the obi hanging limply on her arm. She exited the kitchen, and closed the screen behind her. Sakura bowed, and walked to Megumi, who stood in her place, her foot tapping on the floor impatiently.

"Are you done?" Megumi said curtly, pushing aside a lock of ebony hair from her face. Megumi was a simple woman from the looks of her; she had long black hair that was always swept back into a tight bun. Her beetle black eyes always contained a harsh glint to them. She was strict, somewhat uptight, and her voice could basically shatter glass and mirrors alike if said in a high enough pitch. Being a mistress of a geisha school and dormitory had its requirements, and Megumi surpassed them.

"Yes, Megumi-san, I am." Sakura said softly, averting her eyes from the harsh glare of her mistress.

"Very well. You may go. Off to the dormitory, then." Megumi shut the fan she was fluttering near her face. Sakura bowed politely, and hustled to the screened door adjacent to her. She slid it open, bowed, and closed the screen. Her feet made little noise as she padded on silently, counting the screen doors to her room that she shared with 29 other geishas and geishas in training.

When she reached her dorm, she took a deep breath, and pulled open the screen. The light spilled onto her face, and she squinted, hearing assorted squeals echo from inside the room.

"Sakura! What took you so long?" exclaimed Tomoyo, Sakura's nineteen-year-old cousin. Sakura and Tomoyo had always been together. Sakura's father, Kinomoto Fujitaka, was a poor weaver and tailor that was widowed many years ago, leaving Sakura, and her twenty-five-year-old brother, Touya. Touya worked as his father's apprentice, learning the tricks of the trade from his father. When Sakura was very young, Sakura had always expressed a passion for dancing. Fujitaka had sought out the nearest geisha school, and had alerted the mistress of his daughter's rare talent. Sakura was accepted immediately, and she moved into the school only three days after. With silent goodbyes and carrying not much more than a bag of spare clothing, Sakura started on her journey to Megumi's geisha school.

When she arrived, she knew absolutely no one. All of the other girls who were being trained usually kept to themselves, their training hard and strenuous. It was until one day, when a new trainee arrived. Her name was Daidouji Tomoyo, and she was about the same age as Sakura. The two immediately hit it off, and they instantly became close friends, confiding everything to each other. It didn't take long for them to realize that they had family ties, and that their mothers were sisters.

Now, at the ages of eighteen and nineteen, they were as close as sisters. Every girl in their dormitory knew and liked them well.

"Oh, you know. Washing dirty dishes for messing up a single step for a dance for a usual customer." Sakura said coyly, rolling her eyes for affect. Tomoyo nodded and grinned, and looped arms with Sakura, taking them to where their futons lay, side by side, each having their own blankets decorated with their favorite colors.

Sakura slipped off her outer kimono, and placed it on a rack, to keep it from wrinkling. She took off her wooden sandals, placing them under the wooden rack. She slipped under her blankets, and trolled her goodnights to the other girls, before turning to her only family here, Tomoyo.

"Oyasumi, Tomoyo. Pleasant dreams." She said quietly, smiling warmly. Tomoyo nodded, and smiled back, she too slipping her blankets to her shoulders. The two of them extinguished their lamps, and turned on their sides, closing their dreary eyes. Sakura slipped into a comfortable slumber, a dream surfacing.

_She was alone in a field of glowing cherry blossoms, a pitch-black sky above her. She noticed that she, too, was glowing. Quite suddenly, a man appeared, his steps hardly touching the cherry blossom petals under his feet. His silouette stood out from the darkness, his face in a picture of rhapsody._

_"My Sakura..." he said slowly, walking towards where she lay. Sakura didn't try to get away, she stayed put, and let the strange man embrace her._

_"We will meet one day, you and I..." he said slowly in her ear, his warm breath prickling up the little hairs on her neck, his voice sending shivers down her spine._

_"What is your name, my love?" she asked quietly, taking his head in her hands. She smiled a gentle smile, and kissed her forehead._

_"My name, love, is Syaoran," he replied, "expect to see me soon.. Watch for me..." She nodded, and he faded away. She whimpered for a second, feeling his bodily warmth leave her. He vanished before her into thin air, and standing in the dim, eerie silence, she was left alone. _

_Soon, she too, faded, along with the mystical field of her namesakes.  
_

In her sleep, Sakura smiled softly, and whispered one word.

"Syaoran.."

Tomoyo, from her position on her futon, heard Sakura murmur a strange man's name, and she frowned. Sleep did not come easily for her, and she lay pondering of who this strange man of Sakura's dreams could be. Whoever this man was, she felt she would find out soon, whether it be circumstance or pure luck. With a half-hearted sigh, she rolled over, and finally unconsiousness hit her.

**((That's it! Anyways, onto user comments. Thanks to all who have reviewed, your thoughts are much appreciated!** **Ayr, I will heed your request and keep Syaoran a virgin, but that won't stop him from bragging and lying through his teeth! Anyways, here's where I need you, the reviewers', help. I need Warlords and Ginzas. Guy reviewers shall have to fill out a daimyo application, and the girls', the geishas.**

**Guys' form: **

** Name:**

**Class:**

**Weapon:**

**Personality:**

**Age:**

**Description:**

**History: **

**

* * *

Girls' form:**

**Name: **

**Age: **

**Personality:**

**Description:**

**History: **

**That's all that needs to be filled out, and I hope all who review will fill out their applications, since their OCs will appear in my story! I'll be back soon with an update!**

**Peace out,**

**Chiishi!)) **


	3. Chapter 3: Dreams Remembered

**((Chiishi here! Anyways, thanks to everyone who appleied for the geishas who applied, but I need daimyos! Well, thanks for the reviews, and I promise that the geishas will be introduced in the next chapter! Anyways, on to the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the sort close to anything that CLAMP does, but I own manga! X3!))**

**Chapter 3:** Dreams Remembered

Hours rolled by in a matter of minutes, it seemed. Syaoran slept dreamlessly for a long while, tossing and turning uncomfortably on his futon, his forehead drenched in a fine layer of cold sweat. He was awakened by the rolling of his chamber's screen, and he sat bolt upright, his pupils contracting to little black orbs. It was a serving girl in her late teens, bringing a plate of fruit. When she saw him awaken, she froze, and bowed stiffly, looking down at her feet.

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Li-dono." she said softly, walking catiously foreward, wary of her lord's presence. He grunted coldly and dismissed her, sending the terrified girl away. She muttered her thanks and bowed, rushing to leave the room as soon as possible. Syaoran lifted his eyebrows as she vanished. He glanced at the platter laid out for him; he sighed and popped a piece of satsuma in his mouth, and rose to dress himself. Before he dared to step out from his changing screen, two very angry looking officials bustled in, their arguing bouncing chaotically off the walls of the richly adorned chamber.

"This simply cannot be overlooked, Huangzhou-sama, it cannot!" raged a particularily stout and red-faced man he recognized as his advisor, Mizushima Tarou.

"It's not a threat at this time, Mizushima-san! If they are not dealing any damage, no blood shall be spilled on their behalf!" A considerably younger looking man snarled back, his hair a brilliant black. This was of course his cousin, Li Huangzhou, who lived in a kingdom over from his. He lived with his sister Meiling.

Syaoran smirked as he finished dressing, and he stepped out from the screen, his hakama properly adjusted. Both of the men gasped in surprise, and bowed deeply, mumbling apologies to the region's lord. Syaoran internally shrugged, and stepped forward, his hands on his hips.

"My good men, what seems to be the trouble?" asked Syaoran calmly, his cold exuberance still wrapped tightly about him.

"My lord Li-sama! A band of rogues from lower Ise have been spotted close to your borders, under instructions from the lord Uzake-sama." Mizushima sputtered, his head still down as he stated his report. Huangzhou just laughed, and stood, throwing an arm over his cousin's soulders. Syaoran half grinned, and turned mokingally serious, his voice gruff.

"If they are not causing trouble, Mizushima-jiji, then we have nothing to act on, do we?" Syaoran said causally, walking to his window, causing his cousin to drop his arm.

"If you say so, Li-sama..." Mizushima said sighing, making Syaoran's expression darken. He scowled, outraged that his own personal advisor would cheek off at him like that.

"You are dismissed, Mizushima!" Syaoran bellowed, clearly pissed off. Mizushima flushed, suddenly burning in shame. He bowed, and stalked out of the room, quietly closing the screen behind him.

"That man would lose his head if he said that to me in that way..." Huangzhou snarled, shaking his head. Syaoran nodded, and waved to his cousin as Huangzhou left. He sat, his head in his hands, his dream of the previous night on his mind.

What did it all mean? Who is this mysterious woman with the name of his regional flower? Many questions ran freely through his mind, their solutions seemingally lost.

"My lord?" a small voice whispered, making Syaoran's head snap up. There was a small woman, who he recognized almost immediately.

"Yes?" he answered, groaning, knowing who was here to see him.

"Your sisters are here."

* * *

He sighed as he walked into the entance hall, his wooden sandals clunking dully on the polished wooden floors. He prepared himself for his four sisters, knowing a very embarrassing situation lay ahead of him. Li had risen through the ranks, but his family was well born already. The Lis were indeed a strange brood, for their children kept their mother's maiden name, Li, while his father kept his last name, Hiiragizawa. Lord Hiiragizawa, commonly known as the Shogun's right hand man. Hiiragizawa-sama had chestnut brown hair, which was passed down through the Li children, and he had amber eyes, which of course, Syaoran had inherited. One could say he was the elder spitting image of his son, the two were so alike in looks. In personality, however, the two men could not be more different. Hiiragizawawas a man that thought mostly with his head and little with his heart, and bore his emotions on his sleeve. Syaoran, occasionally swayed by moments of emotion, felt no need to allow his logic to overthrow his true emotions, but he rarely let others see what he was truly feeling, a samurai in training and spirit in every sense.

The mother, Yelan Li, was a Chinese noble, who had went to Japan on a reconnaissance mission for the sake her father's military intelligence in the Hong Kong army. She had met Lord Hiirogaziwa, and their love grew from the minute they met. Yelan was a beautiful woman, with black hair and mysterious beetle black eyes, which stuck with two of the Li daughters.

Syaoran's sisters were, of course, Fanran, Fuutie, Feimiel, and Sheifa, all order than him, and interestingly enough, all acted younger than he did. Fanran and Sheifa were long married, but Feimiel and Fuutie were freshly engaged. All four of them brought women along with them as potential wives every month. Each time they came, Syaoran rejected all of the women, with a different excuse every time. Every time his sisters left broken-hearted (all a ruse to sway his heart), he would tell them that he wanted to find his own wife, instead of having to choose someone they picked out for him.

He wanted a woman with a sense of humor, someone that was beautiful inside and out, if she was pretty yet vain, he would not have her. It was until last night that he thought he would never find his perfect wife. That woman in his dream, however, was beyond perfect. As he walked toward the room that held his sisters, he could only think of his Sakura. Where was she?

* * *

"Syaoran!"

"It's been too long!"

"Syao-chan!"

"'Ran-tan!"

Syaoran grimaced, and sighed. He was ambushed by a flurry of squealing women, and he struggled to keep his hakama straight. When they let him go, he spied the lavishly dressed maidens stood there, their faces bowed in respect for their lord.

"Presenting... ladies from the outer Edo city limits!" Fanran said enthusiastically, fluttering her hands excitedly.

Syaoran stepped foreward, and did what he did for every inspection.

Girl #1: He lifted her chin with his hand, and studied her face. She was a humble looking girl, with dullish black hair, and dark brown eyes. When their eyes met, she instantly looked away, her aura nervous. _Not confident enough..._ he thought quickly, letting his hand drop from its position as he moved on to the next lady.

Girl #2: She was indeed a pretty girl, but something startled him about her. Her eyes were an uncouth blue, very unusual for the japanese. Her hair was a glossy black, and when they studied each other, she flashed an overconfidant smile, and did not look away as expected._ Too confidant, it seems... mother must have slept with a British soldier occupying the south..._

The other two girls he paid little attention to. He just looked them over, asked to see their teeth and asked after their health and familial lineage, their faces plain and unmemorable when he thought the day over later that night. _  
_

The examination finished in a period of ten minutes, and Syaoran was yet again, not very satisfied.

Each of his sisters pecked his cheeks as they left, and he opened his mouth to speak, but Sheifa held up a finger to silence him.

"We know... 'I'll find my own woman, she's out there'. We've heard it a million times, Syao-chan!" Fuutie said giggling, her hands on her hips. Syaoran rolled his eyes, and walked off to his quarters, and heard the solid oak doors close behind him.

When he reached his quarters, he turned to the servant master, and cleared his throat.

"Get me my horse, I'm going to town."

The master bowed, and hustled away, calling for this and that from those around him. Syaoan grinned as he thought of his destination.

The entertainment district.

**((Badum dum duuuuuuuuuum! I hope y'all like, and the next chapter will be about Sakura, and the new geisha girls! Hope you all look forward to the next chappie!**

**Sayonara,**

**Chiishi :3)) **


	4. Chapter 4: I remember

**((Here's the 4th chapter! It's one of my more rare, long chapters. I hope you enjoy it! BTW, **Ôto** is another word in japanese for sakura, cherry blossom. I've included most of the applied OCs, and I hope to see more of them! If you wish to apply, please refer to chapter 2. Anyways- enjoy!**

**Disclaimer- I do not own anything of CLAMP's; they are just too amazing for me to steal anything of theirs. So read, and review, if you'd wish!))  
**

**Chapter 4:** I remember..

* * *

When Sakura awoke, she noticed that a pale light fell on the floor from the screened window. She blinked a couple of times, and yawned. She stretched, and groaned as she felt her back crack. As she lay there, many thoughts arose from her mind. That man... he was definitely mysterious. He was the ideal vision of a man. His looks, his caring motions... everything was just where it should be. Except one thing. She noticed that his eyes had a shine that she didn't recognize. It seemed... blueish, almost. That blue reminded herself of winter, and the snow upon the ground. Could this mean he was cold in his heart?

She looked over to the other girls, and noticed they were still asleep. She looked out onto the screened wrap-around deck that encircled the geisha dormitory, and she smiled. She could hear the birds chortle their morning choruses, and she saw that the cherry blossoms were just beginning to prepare for opening, and she inhaled deeply. There was nothing she loved more than mid-spring, and that also meant that soon, her father and brother would visit to celebrate her birthday. She heard one of the others, Katsura, to be exact, roll over in her sleep, and mumble something under her breath. Each girl had a different past, and all very extremely different from the others. Sakura thought of the girls, and recounted the names and histories of her friends that slept in the same room. There was Rin, Takana, Katsura, Rei, and Ayr, but Ayr didn't actually live with the other geishas.

"Sakura.." a thin voice whispered. Sakura's head whipped around, and she saw Takana sitting up, laying in the bed across from her. Sakura smiled, and sat up, and they exchanged happy glances. Sakura had always felt throughally sorry for Takana. Takana had a troubled past, like many other girls, but her past was one of the most startling that Sakura had ever heard of. Takana had come from a famine-stricken family from the outskirts of the Hanshin region, and had travelled here for many miles, just because she had heard that there was good pay to be had as a geisha. Her family had way too many children. She wasn't the oldest when she had been abandoned, but she had thought that there was something wrong with her for her parents to treat her like that. Takana didn't enjoy speaking of her past, but she had told Sakura, and Sakura only.

The girls conversed in low tones, fearful that Megumi-sama would catch them talking before their times to rise. Takana was famous among the Ginzas for having the most bizarre dreams, and the night before had no exception. Takana's dream had consisted of her running through a long alley in Edo, and she could hear screams and laughter behind her. Her dream self seemed terrified, and Takana swore she could feel her legs burn with all the running her dream persona had done. Sakura took this not as an omen, but perhaps just a warning. Kami-sama worked his ways in more ways than just postive ways, Sakura had always believed. Takana nodded, and froze as she heard a noise outside the hall screen. Both girls bolted under their blankets, and they heard the screen slide open, and a murmuring could be heard, but then the screen was pulled shut, and Sakura visibly relaxed. She closed her eyes, and what felt like just a minute later, she was roughly shaken awake.

"Whad!" Sakura practically shouted, making her assailant baulk.

"Calm down, calm down, Sakie-chan!" A long sheet of amberish hair hit her face, practically making Sakura sneeze. Sakura blinked a few times, and noticed that she was staring in a placid yet brilliant set of emerald eyes.

"Katsura! Whad did I tell you aboud waking me up like thad?" Sakura said loudly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Katsura rolled her eyes, grinned anyways, and hopped happily off, but fell with an 'umph' as she slipped on one of her kimono layers. Sakura laughed, and felt a pair of eyes on her. She looked over to Tomoyo, and she saw that indeed, her cousin was staring at her.

"Tomoyo? What's the matter?" Sakura asked catiously, and she noticed that her cousin had deep purple rings around her eyes. Tomoyo kept her stare on Sakura, and blinked once or twice. Tomoyo put her hands in her lap, and looked away.

"Who's Syaoran?"

* * *

Sakura walked down the hall, adjusting the final slips on her kimono. Sakura had told Tomoyo little bits and pieces of her dream, and had left in a flourished rush.

"Oi, Sakura-chan! You're needed in the kitchen! Get your breakfast down before you leave, you've got thirty minutes before the theatre near Asakusa needs you on stage!" a voice hollered from the main room, where they were preparing and assigning the day's more expensive kimonos, which always sat in a storehouse just off of the back gardens, layer upon layer of silk separated by thin sheets of crepe paper in lacquered boxes. Sakura saluted, and walked as quickly as her kimono let her to the kitchen, and rolled up her sleeves. She waved to all the other girls at the fires, and took out some fish. She put it in a cast-iron cooking pan, fresh from a place called 'England', and placed the thawed fish in the pan, and cast the pan on the cooking fire. After about two and a half minutes of solid cooking, Sakura finished the dish, and sat it near the fire to keep it warm, but had to abandon it as a matron came by to remind her of where she needed to be in very little time. She excited into the main room, and noticed immediately that there were geishas already hustling off to salons to get their hair waxed and styled. Sakura padded silently away, and went to a washstand. She grabbed her wig, since her hair wasn't the standard black, and carefully tucked it into a bag she had fetched from a storage closet off of one of the many hallways, and grabbed her various items of makeup, and a few of the required brushes, hustling off to a small antechamber with stands and mirrors, kneeling down before a stand, applying her makeup and slipping on the shiny, semi-hard with wax wig onto her auburn locks.

When she went back into the main room, the geishas from before having long departed with shamisens in their lacquered cases and what little money they possessed tucked into their obis. Sakura bustled in small steps over to an attendant by the door, who slipped on her overkimono for cooler weather, helping her up onto high polished zori sandals. With a small word of thanks and a bow, Sakura walked with proud, fluttering steps out of the geisha school, flagging down a rickshaw driver to take her to the teahouse she was summoned to for her first job of the day.

The scenery around her flew by in wild abandon, Sakura's eyes unfocused as she was jostled over the rough cobblestones of the flagstone streets, her driver somehow making hairpin turns about tight corners, his charge somehow staying put in the rickshaw at his back. Sakura finally arrived at her destination, a rather luxurious-looking theatre of average size. She delicately got herself out of the rickshaw, paid the driver his dues, and rushed inside, immediately being pulled through a screen which led into a service hallway by a theatre attendant. She was led to a small chamber where she was undressed down to her very last underkimono, and was garbed in a few layers of many-colored silks, her kimono unique to all the others worn by other geishas in the dressing room. They were pushed quickly out of the room, finding themselves on one side of a silk curtain, that thin layer of fabric separating the girls from the men seated at low tables about the floor-height stage on the other side.

"What dance?" Sakura asked quietly, looking to the girl next to her.

"What do you care, you late little skank?" a flaunty voice chortled, and Sakura groaned, realizing who was next to her. It was Xu Xiu, the most hated geisha in all of the theatre. She wasn't even directly japanese, she was chinese, and it made her appearance appear sharper, more cunning, almost. Xu Xiu was a slut, and she always got what she wanted, which was money, either from the theatre and her various other locations of work or the men she shared a bed with every night. Sakura felt a nudge from her left, and saw two of her dearest friends, Hikari and Ayr, smiling at her patiently.

"It's the.." Hikari said softly, blushing as she forgot what she was about to say. Ayr smiled empathically, and went into stance.

"It's the dragon dance, Saku-chan." Ayr said sweetly, and Sakura got into her position as well. The curtain was drawn apart, the lantern light from around the stage making her close her eyes for just an instant to get used to the sudden glare.

As the music started, Sakura kept her eyes shut, and she felt the vibrations of the music, and swayed her hips to the opening steps. Her body moved perfectly to the beat, and she felt her instincts take over. She swayed and stepped with enthusiam, and leaped, and felt the familiar press of Ayr's hands on her shoulders. She bent low, and waited for the counts, her eyes still closed. Ayr danced in perfect harmony about Sakura, and Sakura smoothly brought herself up, her body twisting and curving in sync with Ayr's identical movements. She was about to finish, and do the hardest routine, but she felt a pair of unfamiliar hands wrap themselves around her petite waist, and she yelled as she fell backwards, her eyes opening quickly.

"I waaant thiis oone.." said the owner of the arms, a particularly non-sober obese man. The music stopped, and a hush fell upon the room. Sakura wriggled in the man's grasp, and she saw the other geishas gather round, but someone was pushing through the crowd.

"Out of my way, I say!" a majestic voice bellowed, and she stepped out from the crowd.

There stood a proud looking young woman, who Sakura recognized as one of her friends, Rin. Her beautiful red hair was mostly back in an elaborate knot, the back of her hair let down. Sakura and Rin were the theatre's most prized dancers, and had trained together for many a night.

Rin reached down, slapped the man, and smirked as she saw him groan and let go of Sakura, scuttling back to nurse his reddened cheek at his table, next to his friends, all of which were completely drunk before noon. Sakura beamed, and hugged Rin, and the theatre director came bustling up, her hands on her little hips.

"What's going on here? I demand to know!" She shrieked, and several of the men looked down.

"Ninomiya-sama! This drunken 'customer' tried to rape Sakura!" Ayr bellowed, her reddish-blond hair swirling out from under the wig she wore. Director Ninomiya's eyes widened, and looked to the other customers.

"Can you please... please get this man out of my theatre? Whoever can get him to a hotel the fastest will get a free dinner here-" Before she could finish, all the men in the room got up, and hoisted the man up by his shoulders. After about ten minutes of talking with Ninomiya, a small boy came running in, bearing a scroll. Ninomiya took the scroll, and as she read it, her eyes widened.

"Kami-sama! The lord is coming for a visit! Everyone, prepare! Pull out the lavish foods! Only the best for the daimyo!" Ninomiya screeched, making all of the girls groan at her high pitch, but squeal when they heard the news. Sakura was pulled away by Rin, and Rin had an uncommon smile on her face.

"We've got to dance for him... We must!" she said hurriedly, and Sakura groaned when she noticed of where she was being dragged to. "Quickly, quickly! We have to re-powder you and take off that stuffy wig!"

* * *

As Sakura dashed in to the main hall, she was greeted by the sight of many geisha of all ages crowding the entrance. She stood at the back of the crowd, and was nearly deafened by the screams of joy that were heard in front of her. She assumed that the lord had arrived, and she struggled to get a better look.

"He's so handsome!"

"Look at those hakama and that haori!"

"He's so dashing!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, and just as she was about to see the lord, she was knocked down by another horde of squealing girls. Sakura staggered as she rose, and she mumbled curses as she tried her best to brush off the dirt on her kimono. It wasn't like she cared about that lord, anyways.

* * *

Syaoran smirked as he felt what seemed to be hundreds of eyes pierce his face and body, and he used a strutting gait as he carried on, and was met with the theatre mistress, Ninomiya.

"My lord Li-sama! This way, please!" she said loudly, trying her best to keep her pitch of voice under control. She all but pushed him into a suite, and he sat on a pile of cushions, and recieved a cup of sake from the mistress with a nod, and sipped it. About ten girls were lined up before him, and he chose five. He chose Rin, because she seemed so beautiful, cold and strong. He chose Xu Xiu, because of the flirty looks she was sending his way, and the ample amount of busom she flaunted. He chose Katsura because of her seemingly endless amount of energy, and her brightness. He chose Ayr, because of the determined spirit that she donned. He chose lastly Takana, because of her gentle looks, and the soothing aura she gave off.

They started to bring plates of very well-cooked meals, and he chose something from each platter, and started to munch his way through it, not noticing Xu Xiu practically drape herself over his shoulder.

"Sake, my lord?" she asked sedutively, holding a small heated vial near his cup. He shook his head, and went back to completely ignoring her, and picked through a plate of sashimi. Xu Xiu humphed, and slipped the sake cups and pitcher out of Syaoran's way, and she slumped down on a board, disappointed that he didn't seem to like her.

"Girls! Prepare for the dance of the royals!" Ninomiya said calmly, before walking out of the room. The girls bowed to him, and got into their positons, and Syaoran eyed them with interest. The dance started calmly, with each girl doing her own steps. Rin, he noticed, was excellent in her footing, and her rhythm was perfect. Xu Xiu, he noticed, bent too low most of the time, and he caught more than enough that he wanted to see of her chest. Xu Xiu didn't have much rhythm, but her looks and curves seemed to make up for that. Katsura, he liked immediately. Her smile had immediately brightened up the room, and her footing was a little clumsy, but she always kept her beat. Takana, he had a liking for, because her steps had an air of gentleness, and she swayed softly to each of the beats, her appearance like a leaf of a tree, swaying in a gentle wind. As the dance ended, Syaoran smiled, and cleared his throat, making all five heads in the room turn to him.

"I am dismissing you.. but, I wish for one to stay." he said softly, and Katsura giggled into Takana's shoulder. Takana blushed, and looked down. Rin stood her ground, and kept her gaze level with his. Ayr smiled a nervous smile, and looked away. Xu Xiu flipped her hair, and winked at him, and Syaoran looked away, a tad bit disgusted. He raised an almost lazy finger upward, and he swayed it over all of the girls. He swayed his finger for a minute, making him seem like he was thinking, but he was not. He wanted to talk to the strongest dancer, for with strength, comes knowledge. His finger descended on Rin, and the other four girls groaned quietly. Rin, on the other hand, blinked several times, and as duty called, she stepped foreward, and bowed deeply.

"My lord," she said quietly, watching with mournful eyes as her three comrades, Takana, Ayr and Katsura left. Syaoran motioned for her to sit, and she sat quietly down, and comfortably adjusted her kimono layers from under her. Syaoran looked out of the circular, bamboo-bared window on the wall, and noticed that the sun was already low in the sky.

_Already? I've been here this long?_ he thought quietly, but a rustle of Rin's kimono brought him back to reality. He looked back to her, and her expression had turned icy, and he smirked as she looked into his gaze.

"Tell me, what is your name?" He asked softly, making her look down and lick her lips.

"Rin." she answered thinly, and Syaoran smiled. He had a suspicion that there was one other dancer here, that was better than this 'Rin'. He cleared his throat, and noticed that he had met this woman before... but from where? No.. no.. he couldn't have.. that must have been someone else..

"Tell me... 'Rin'.." He said slowly, putting emphasis on her newly-discovered name, "I know you are among the top dancers of this theatre. But I know that there will always be a better one. Tell me, who is the greatest dancer here?" Rin looked up, shocked by his words. Usually men would have no idea of how much skill a geisha like herself could wield. She searched her thoughts on what he had said, and she raised her head again, her mind decided.

"The lady.. Ôto, Li-sama." she said quietly, and stood.

"Shall I get her for you?" she asked quietly, her head bowed. Syaoran smirked, and ran his fingers through his unruly hair.

"Oh... yes please.." He said, sneering. Rin bowed deeply as she left, and Syaoran thought to himself, who could this... Lady Ôto be?

* * *

"Sakura-chan! We must get you ready!" Rin bellowed, as she rushed into the dressing room. Sakura was helping make up an apprentice geisha, and at the moment, she was lining a piece of charcoal over the girl's eyebrows covered in white makeup, drawing a set of thinner, more theatrical brows. She looked down on herself and sighed, seeing her underkimono smudged with white makeup and rouge, the obi askew.

"For what, Rin?" She asked sadly, exhausted from her work, her steady hand had been demanded to doll up countless other performers, geishas and kabuki actors alike.

"To see the lord! He asked of who the best dancer was, and I told him you- the Lady Ôto!" Rin said, pulling Sakura up, and dragging her off.

"Rin!" she whined, "You know that I'm not the best, you are!" Sakura squeaked as she was dragged over a loose floorboard, and was almost sent tumbling into Rin. Rin fixed her a cold stare, and Sakura gulped, and looked down at her feet, which were stumbling on the polished floor.

"Stop that whining, Sakura. You are the best, you're just too modest to admit it." Rin pulled her around a corner, and Sakura realised of where she was. She was in the storeroom of where loaner equipment and items for the geisha were kept, and Rin pulled her over to an elaborately carved chest. She opened it, and Sakura could only gasp as she saw the kimono that Rin had dug out for her.

"It's yours, for the day. Ninomiya's orders," Rin said calmly, dropping the folded garments into Sakura's arms. "Now, go change!" Sakura was off, and she squealed to herself; today was definitely a good day.

* * *

Syaoran impatiently tapped his foot on the floor. She was late. Whoever this 'Lady Ôto' was, she was late. Too late for his liking. Syaoran sipped his sake, and took a cold bit of grilled fish, and sat up when there was a rapping of a knock on the screen door.

"Enter." he said coldly, and a girl of about twenty-one years entered. Her lips was hidden by a fan, her eyes lowered, as a token of respect, and she had her hair up in such a beautiful way. It was a pretty copper color, and it was in an almost royal chinese style, which he recognized immediately, for his sister Sheifa always had it up that way. Her hair was done in a twisted pattern, and it seemed that a thin wire in the middle of the 'tubes' of hair, keeping the style together. Her kimono blew him away, though. It was made from a soft silk, and it was a soft shade of pink, reminding him of cherry blossoms. Of course, she was the Lady Ôto.. The pattern, though, definitely reminded him of those beautiful blossoms. Embroidered in with thin white thread, were tiny, extremely delicate-looking cherry blossoms, the petals scattered all along the top of the kimono, the obi a darker in a dark russet pinkish-red, the little string holding it up a rosy pink.

The girl bowed, and got into stance, and lowered her fan so she could get a look at her lord. It was _him_! She inwardly gasped, and turned around, snapping the fan shut.

"Are you the Lady Ôto?" Syaoran asked softly, and Sakura froze. That was definitely his voice. She nodded stiffly, and breathed deeply.

"Well, if you are, dance the Wolf Dance." Syaoran said softly, recounting his favorite dance. Sakura nodded, and sighed inwardly. He just had to pick the hardest dance to do. Syaoran queued the musicians, and Sakura started slowly, stepping to her right. She started to delicately sway, and she suddenly turned fierce, and quickly turned to her lord, her eyes screwed shut in concentration. Syaoran looked at her, and she leaped, and he counted the steps she took. Perfectly on time, he noticed. When she finally opened her eyes, though, he froze, and his dream came back to him.

"Sakura.." he said softly, and she froze on the spot. Syaoran rose, and walked over to her, completely at the mercy of his body. Without being in control of his body, and swayed by the emotions raging through his heart, he looped his arms around her waist. Desire seeped through her, but she held her ground.

"Sakura.. is it really you?" he asked quietly, pulling out the wire from her hair. It came undone, and it reached her shoulders, just as his dream woman's did. She did not reply, but gave into his embrace, falling against his chest, his chest to her back, their eyes both closed. He nestled his face in her hair, relishing the scent of her glossy locks, and gingerly enjoying the feel of her body so vividly against his.

"S-Syaoran?" she answered quietly, and he grinned, and turned her to him.

"I've found you.." They said together, and they fiercely embraced, and Sakura could feel the beginnings of tears in her eyes. He positioned his hand on the back of her neck, and he held her to him, and he kissed her fiercely. She melted from under him, feeling her first kiss. As they broke apart, he stroked her cheek affectionately.

So many months of dreaming of the other, of just knowing the feeling of each other's presence, and savouring the feel of the emotions growing and evolving between them, each dream shared between the two of them letting them get to know each other better, never forcing the other to do more than hold each other and talk.

"Sakura... I-"

* * *

**((MUHAHAHAHAHA! I'm leaving you there! This chapter took about 2 hours to write, since I'm such a lazy typer! Anyways, if anyone can draw or find someone to do fanart for this story, it would be greatly appreciated! I'll update soon, I promise.**

**Much luff and ciao,  
**

**-Chiishi. XD)) **


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